The Tri-Town area had multiple success stories in the world of sports, though there was none bigger than the one that came out of the Cougar Cage at Old Colony.
Old Colony boys basketball finished the year 18-4 after losing to Cohasset in the Division 4 South Sectional quarter finals, though that wasn’t the reason the gym was filled up on a nightly basis. It was because they were witnessing history every night that Jake Jason took the floor.
The senior wing averaged 27.3 points per game on 71 percent shooting to win his third-consecutive Mayflower Athletic Conference Small Vocational Division MVP. More importantly, he became the first male basketball player in Old Colony’s history to eclipse the 2,000 point mark, setting the new school record in scoring with 2,247 points. In doing so, he became the 20th-highest scorer in Massachusetts boys basketball history, passing former NBA player Chris Herren in the process.
Jason also averaged 12.4 rebounds and two steals a night in his senior year, finishing with 1,027 boards and 136 swipes in his career.
Old Rochester
Two teams turned heads at Old Rochester in the 2018-19 academic year: football and girls basketball.
Football made it all the way to the Div. 6 Super Bowl under head coach Justin Kogler. After a tough 27-22 battle against Bishop Stang, the then-undefeated Bulldogs went on to beat Dedham 34-14 in the semi-finals. Old Rochester then cruised past Ashland 28-6 to win the South Sectional Finals, bringing the Bulldogs record to 10-0.
Led by Tyler Noe, Dylan DeWolfe, Desmond Dias, and Cole McIntyre, Old Rochester made the trip to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro to face North Sectional champion Stoneham, whom would go on to win the Super Bowl over the Bulldogs by a score of 26-20.
Old Rochester girls basketball made a surprise run in the south sectional tournament despite the team lacking one definitive leading scorer. Led primarily by Mary Butler, who scrapped for every point and rebound, the Bulldogs went all the way to the South Sectional semi-finals after defeating Westwood 50-37 and Falmouth 40-38. Hingham would get the better of the Bulldogs in the semis, winning 52-36.
Tabor
Tabor girls hockey started the 2018-19 season strong and never looked back, cruising to a 20-2-3 record on the year. The Seawolves dominated opponents in the offensive zone, scoring six or more goals on multiple occasions throughout the season, led by Skylar Irving, Annie Berry, and Abby Newhook, along with Julia Shaunessy, Olivia O’Brien, Cindy Giandomenico, and Ashley Clark. Tabor would qualify for the New England Presidential Schools Athletic Council Tournament and fall in the first round to Phillips Andover, 4-2.
Tabor girls soccer also had a big year, finishing with a 15-2-2 record and the NEPSAC title after knocking off Thayer Academy 4-3 in penalty kicks. The University of South Carolina commit Cat Barry scored 33 goals for Tabor en route to being named the Massachusetts Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Jaydah Bedoya, a UConn commit, finished second on the team with 15 goals.
College
Tabor Academy alum Jared Shuster completed his second season at Wake Forest and is currently playing for the Orleans Red Birds in the Cape Cod League. Shuster started 12 games for the Demon Deacons and struck out 94 batters in 68 innings of work.
Will Hopkins dominated for Suffolk baseball in his sophomore season. The Rochester native and Old Rochester graduate hit .336 with a .421 on-base percentage. Of his 47 hits, 11 went for extra bases, including four triples. He also stole 18 bases in 39 games.
Tri-Town’s 2018-19 Year in Sports
By Nick Friar